Lowkey, I've erased and rewritten what I wanted to write here for about 10 times and this is the version of my thoughts that I'm satisfied with and didn't sound too ranty.

So disclaimers: If you like the book, please skip the review.

If you're like me, who loved the first half and the second half was just blugh, then please continue on reading this.

This book had everything that I liked in a romance book:
✅ Grumpy-sunshine (Male MC is super super grumpy which I still don't mind)
✅ Small-town romance (I freaking love the community)
✅ Heavily family-oriented
✅ Slow burn

Lets talk about the things that I liked in the book first:

1) The Characters
I feel that the author did a good job with every character that she made. Naomi is a character that I really loved and there is a soft spot in my heart for her. The fact that she is a people pleaser makes me 🥺 as well. The small town community is one that I would always appreciate in a romance book, as its a small-tight community that basically knows everything and has your back in cases of bad things happening to you. Love the setting as well.

2) Plot
Plot was okay for me and I would say that the angsty-ness is well-written. I liked that the author explored a topic on twins with very split personalities, and also on topics with a child that is not yours but you learnt to love anyways. The family aspects here is top notch and I would say the spicy scenes were really well-written. It has the perfect amount of angst and passion which makes most of it good.

Now moving on to the part that just made this book really downhill from me:

1) The Unnecessary Conflict
Yow this was my BIGGEST ICK for this book. From the start, we have a mystery and a conflict going on, which for me is already sufficient to move with the plot of the story..... until there was this part that felt so... SUDDEN to a point I had whiplash. I was like.... huh??????? What the heck.....
I think it's a going recurrence for some romance novels to HAVE TO PUT A CONFLICT THAT FEELS SO UNNATURAL AND UNNECESSARY. Like yes, I get where Knox is coming from and I felt sorry for his backstory, but yo, what you did really just got me ... going WTF IS THIS BIJ DOESNT GROVEL I WILL RIOT. And sadly towards the end of the book, it felt so BLOODY RUSHED?????? LIKE EVERYTHING WANTS TO BE JAMMED PACK TOWARDS THE END LIKE PLEASE STOP WHAT IS GOING ON.

Like for a book with 50 chapters, you could've at least cut some pining and move on with some of the plot. Honestly, I would love it if they will explore Knox's vulnerability as well as Naomi's together in a sense that doesn't make them both look like an asshole and one look like a pushover. Instead... haih. It got me sad cause I honestly love the first half of the book but then I stopped so many times towards the second half cause I'm just annoyed at Knox at some point. LIKE YOU'RE 43 CAN YOU PLEASE TALK.

2) So many unanswered things

I dunno if its just me , but I'm kinda icked that Tina is painted at this bad person from the very start till the very end of the book. When we met her, its just that she has issues to work on, and she def loves her kid. And there's Stef with Jer and just everyone else on the sides that just suddenly got.. shoved off? hahahahha. I don't know, but towards the end everyone is suddenly there and it feels that the author is writing it for the sake of .. "hey im gonna write another book so here's Nash and Lina"

So yes, I don't hate the book its just I feel that it has a lot of missing potential :/
And the fact that I actually loved the characters too haih. But I will still read Nash's book next cause I want to know if she actually tie up the loose ends from this one.

Would give a 3.5🌟 for this. Sad cause feel-wise, I loved it :/